Fergie's £2m pig farm

This is the first glimpse of Sarah Ferguson's £2million Italian estate, which, with the Tuscan nobleman who was once her lover, she plans to turn into a health spa, hotel and organic farm.

Fergie and Count Gaddo della Gherardesca bought the rambling, derelict site - a former pig farm - earlier this year and hope to encourage a stream of wealthy British clients. It is also believed she aims to lavishly renovate one of the dilapidated barns to create a private summer retreat.

Santa Lorica is set at the bottom of a valley amid 360 hectares of fabulous Tuscan countryside, including thick woods roamed by wild boar. It is close to the mediaeval village of Sassetta and the count's spectacular home in Castegneto Carducci.

To reach the hotel, visitors have to drive along a dusty road for about 500m, passing the abandoned piggery, crumbling outhouses and various abandoned cars dotted across ragged olive groves. As well as the seven buildings, there are two empty, cracked swimming pools, two tennis courts in need of resurfacing, and a fishing lake.

But already one of the buildings, renovated and displaying a new coat of paint, is open for business. The first paying guests of the season arrived last week to enjoy the £260-anight farm-based bed and breakfast lodgings.

Fergie and Count Gaddo were reported to have ended a four-year relationship last autumn, but they remain close friends. She visited the site in February, spending a day or so planning the refurbishment. The count is providing financial backing for the development with the Duchess of York's name adding currency in PR terms.

They have more ambitious plans: the pair have been negotiating the purchase of a neighbouring property with a hot natural spring - the aim, to turn it into one of Europe's premier health and beauty centres.

And Fergie - no doubt inspired by her former brother-in-law Charles's efforts at Highgrove - is fascinated by the idea of creating a self-sufficient Tuscan farm that grows organic fruit and vegetables and rears livestock and fish.

Count Gaddo told the Evening Standard: "We have so many plans for Santa Lorica, and Sarah is just as enthusiastic about them as I am. She fell in love with the place as soon as she saw it. It is such a peaceful tranquil place and I hope as many British people as possible will come and admire it.

"The whole project will take at least a year to finish and it will be next summer at the earliest before everything is up and running properly. I spend every weekend there and Sarah comes when work commitments allow. She is always very busy travelling the world.''

Her friendship with Count Gaddo has been, according to those who know her well, "very productive" in business terms. A successful businessman, the count has offered advice on a number of deals. Her work to raise the profile of Wedgwood and Weight Watchers in the last 12 months earned £1.5 million.

In fact her income is now pushing £2 million a year. Other sources include being a special correspondent for NBC television and a similar role on the Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme.

In New York she recently found favour with Tina Brown, former editor of Talk magazine, who hosted dinner parties for the Duchess.